Since I went 0-2 in my Conference Finals predictions, this posting is tantamount to a joke. But here it goes anyway...
First off, I don’t feel foolish in any way for how I saw those series playing out. Should I have known that Kobe was finally going to become the player we’ve all wished he would become — not just an alpha dog, but a true leader? Should I have known that the supporting cast of a 66-win Cavs team would completely disappear when it mattered? (And I mean, dis-a-f**king-pear. Vanish. Shit, that was almost a magic show.) Should I have known that “Coach of the Year” Mike Brown would consistently throw a double team at D-Ho, despite the fact that it resulted in kick-out passes to Rashard for open threes again and again and again? No, no, and no.
I will take my hat off to Kobe and D-Ho, though — two guys I took a dump on before those series started, who proved me all kinds of wrong. They both came up HUGE for their teams, particularly when it mattered most. (Especially D-Ho, who absolutely took over and ripped Cleveland’s heart out — team and city. And you know what? That’s exactly what Jesus would’ve done.) So, you know, mea culpa and all that shit.
Now, the Finals.
Ultimately, I see it coming down to two things: 1) Kobe absolutely taking over — the right way (i.e., being a leader, getting the best out of his team for 44 minutes, then assuming the reigns in the clutch) — because he knows this is his last realistic shot at getting a ring sans Shaq, and 2) Orlando straight-up getting out-coached. No offense to Stan Van Gundy here, who completely destroyed Mike Brown, but Phil Jackson isn’t going to let him get away with that shit. PJax will throw fouls at D-Ho like an Allied commander threw soldiers at German machine guns at Normandy (DJ Mbenga and Josh Powell can give him 12; maybe goofy Adam Morrison can throw in another 6). Jesus Fan #1 has never been on this kind of stage before, and he’s shaky at the line anyway...so good luck there. Beyond that, Dwight is highly prone to dumb fouls; I see him sitting on the bench a lot this series (with SVG fuming at his side, hilariously). Kobe and Ariza are going to be all over Rashard and Hedo, so forget those guys shooting 57% from beyond (or whatever insane percentage they made in the last series).
Ultimately, how big a factor will D-Ho be? He has a penchant for showing up only every-other-game. But in these playoffs, he’s always come through when it really mattered. I’ll say it again: he absolutely crushed Cleveland in Game 6. I mean, Jesus Christ on a white horse (no irony intended), it was breathtaking to watch. So who knows? If he can muster that up and steal a game in L.A., then I can see...
No, stop. As an Erz fan, the future of the East looks downright scary with Orlando in it. (Never thought I’d be saying that.) But right now? This is Kobe’s time. (Never thought I’d be saying that either. But here I am, saying it.)
This is Kobe’s time. This is Kobe’s time. This is Kobe’s time. Damn.
Lakers in 6.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
After seeing the game last night it could easily be Lakers in 5. I know I'm a unabashed Kobe fan at this point, but there's no denying the magnificence of his first three quarters last night. I literally have never seen anyone play a better game in the Finals. This wasn't D-Wade's performance aided by the referees in 2006. The refs put the whistles in their pockets last night, and Kobe just flat out killed Orlando even though Michael Pietrius was ALL OVER him. He played basically a perfect game (at least from a offensive standpoint). He forced maybe 3 shots the whole game, even though he made a bunch of highly contested jumpers. He wants it more than anyone. He's locked in. I don't think he will allow this team to lose.
Lamar was all over the place. Bynum gave them a good start and five fouls. Pau did his usual. Only if Orlando is red hot can they hang with the Lakers under this scenario. The x-factor which looked less so in the second half was Jameer Nelson. In the second quarter he looked like he was going to change the complexion of the whole series. By the time he got in midway through the third it was already too late. Two things here: 1) His legs were dead in the second half. Short jumpers galore. 2) If they go with him they better be sure he can run 30 minutes cus Skip is gonna check out.
Orlando is already a series deeper in the playoffs then anyone expected them to be. That's without their All Star point guard at full strength. Their coach has already redeemed his reputation in light of Shaq's comments. Their superstar made a leap in his progression towards being "the Man". That's a lot of wins already. It's not like LA where the future is now.
How did Rudy T. say it? "Never underestimate the heart of a champion".
And just to be clear that I'm not jockin' LA and that I'm still an objective hoops observer. I don't think this LA team beats the Boston team from last year. They still don't play with enough consistency. However, they can play with more consistency than this Orlando team because of the Magic's offensive system. It's like you said, it's Kobe's year. And if the Cavs didn't disappear on LeBron, who knows how that series goes?
Post a Comment